Helpful Feature of Florida Child Support System Left It Open to Abuse

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Jul 5, 2016

Helpful Feature of Florida Child Support System Left It Open to Abuse

Posted By
Dean Kantaras

The Florida Department of Revenue plays a critical role for many people
who make or receive child support payments each month. Instead of unofficial
payments made between parents, which can be difficult to track and keep
records of, the state acts as a middleman. This process, however, leaves
the state open to fraud.

To facilitate and standardize the child support process, the paying parent
can send a check each month to the Department of Revenue. After receiving
payment, the organization, which also helps parents establish paternity,
modify support orders and locate parents, then pays recipients with state
funds. In many cases, this process works smoothly and ensures that children
receive the support they need.

Recently, however, two Floridians realized they could exploit this system.
The alleged criminals, Steven Rembert and Frances Rembert, found a way
to write bad checks and collect support anyway. Because the state did
not verify checks under $2,500 before paying recipient parents, the Remberts
were able to send in fake payments directed to women who they were working
with. The state would then disburse the payments before realizing that
the checks were bogus. By that time, the Remberts had taken their share
from the women receiving the checks.

The Remberts are accused of stealing more than $100,000 from the state
with this scheme. Some of the women used for this ploy claim they were
told they were being enrolled in a special program. At this time, none
of the recipients have been charged. The Department of Revenue has changed
their policy for verifying checks, with the threshold lowered from $2,500
to a new, undisclosed amount.

To learn more about child support and the divorce process, contact the
Tampa Bay-area family law attorney at the Law Offices of K. Dean Kantaras, P.A.